Blood disorders in dogs

Blood disorders in dogs

How To Diagnose And Treat Blood Diseases In Dogs

Author: Steve Weber

Learn to spot the signs of blood disorder in your canine. Just like humans, dogs can develop blood disease which must be treated.

So what causes anemia in dogs? There are several factors: parasites, iron-deficient diet, and toxicity to drugs. If your dog has either internal or external parasites such as worms or ticks, there is a chance that he may develop anemia because they feed on your dog's blood. When their diet does not provide them with the necessary amount of iron, they can also become anemic. Drug prescriptions could also cause anemia because of their possible side-effects.

So how do you know if your dog has anemia? The most common indications of an anemic dog are weakness, a rapid level of heartbeat, and paleness as well as whiteness of the gum area.

What are the possible treatments for anemia?

First, make sure that their diet would provide them with a sufficient amount of iron from day to day. The following is a list of foods that are rich in iron:

Dark, leafy, green vegetables - they are a very good source of iron and other vitamins and minerals.

Vitamin E and C - this is a very important combination of vitamin supplements because they aid in the absorption of iron in the intestines. The recommended dosage would be 500-2000 mg of ascorbic acid and 200-400 mg of vitamin E per day. Vitamin C is water soluble and needs to be replenished in the body throughout the day.

Vitamin B12 plus yeast - this has the equivalent benefit of eating liver. It is a good alternative for people who cannot stand feeding liver to their dogs.

The liver of beef or pork - this is one of the main sources of iron. Aside from which, it has also B-complex and protein for the repair of your dog's tissues.

Powdered Kelp - this is also a good source of iron and it contains other minerals plus a dose of iodine.

These foods will supply your dog with the necessary amount of iron in their diet.

Secondly, remove the parasites in your dog, whether they are intestinal parasites or external parasites. They suck-up the blood of your dog and if they happen to be too many, they will indeed affect his health.

Thirdly, if your dog's anemia is caused by toxicity to a drug that he is currently taking, you may want to check that with your vet and ask for another medication that will not have these effects on him. If the signs or symptoms that had been enumerated above can be seen in your dog, consult your veterinarian immediately. Make sure to have your canine undertake several blood assessments to ensure that they aren't cause by another underlying disease.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/how-to-diagnose-and-treat-blood-diseases-in-dogs-4555094.html

About the Author

Steve Weber is a dog lover who has plenty of experience with canine arthritis disease and other dog related issues. At his web site, Cactus Canyon, Steve has many articles and videos that help pet owners dealing with dog joint problems. The site focuses on using all natural glucosamine products like synflex for dogs in treating osteoarthritis.

To help with blood disorders in dogs, feed them natural dog food. View all natural dog food recipes here

Are You Aware Of Possible Blood Disorders Your Dog May Have?

By Audrey Frederick

As a dog owner, we may be aware of many things concerning the health of our dog (s), but blood disorders are something most of us do not understand. The chief function of a dog's blood is to supply oxygen and nutrients to the body's tissues and to carry carbon dioxide and many waste materials away from them.

However, that is not the only job the blood has to do. The blood is a key contributor to such things as cell development, repairing tissue and warding off infections. A dog's blood is much like our own; it contains red cells, white cells, platelets and plasma.

Dogs are susceptible to many blood disorders such as low platelet counts, low red-cell counts, high white-cell counts, clotting problems, blood-related cancers and even poisonings.

One of the most frequent blood disorders our dog friends face is anemia. Anemia in itself is not a blood disease, it causes a lack of circulation of oxygen. There are two forms of this disorder, regenerative anemia where the red blood cells are reduced in number as a result of tissue destruction or chronic bleeding. An example of this would be a deep bleeding wound creating a blood loss. However, if the bleeding was internal caused by a form of parasite or gastro-intestinal bleeding, the blood loss could go on for a long period of time before it was noticed.

The other form of anemia is non-regenerative anemia, here the bone marrow fails to restore fast enough the red blood cells that have been destroyed or have other wise become useless. What causes this? Chronic kidney failure, cancer of the bone or even a tick born disease.

Some dogs such as springer spaniels and basenjis have often been found to have hereditary anemia.

There are many other blood-related problems that are seen in our canine friends on a frequent basis and they are:

Cancers of the blood (acute and chronic leukemias) caused chiefly by an increase in the number of white blood cells in the bone marrow or blood circulation. If not treated these diseases can lead to bone marrow failure and the loss of organ function throughout the dog's body.

Anticoagulant rodenticide toxicity is otherwise known as poisoning. The ingredients in the poison used to kill rats and mice causes a dog to develop a bleeding tendency. It will take a few days to develop and it can cause the dog to bleed through nose and mouth or through its urine and stool. Should the bleeding be internal, it can go on for awhile and not be noticed until severe shock sets in and you notice a respiratory problem. This type of poisoning can be fatal if not treated as soon as possible.

Von Willebrand's disease is a bleeding disease caused by a lack of a certain protein in the system that normally causes the platelets to stick to the lining of a damaged blood vessel. A dog with this disorder may have frequent nosebleeds and have blood in their stools. Some breeds such as Doberman pinschers commonly suffer from this problem. Treatments used are blood transfusions.

Thrombocytopenia is another name for low platelet count, usually caused by an infection, a drug reaction, cancer or other causes. It causes the immune system to treat the platelets as though they were a foreign body and destroys them. Symptoms of this disorder are bleeding gums; oddball skin bleeding, instant bruising and bleeding from a wound that should stop relatively easily.

How can you be on the lookout for these and other blood disorders? Veterinarians suggest that after the age of six years your dog should have a complete blood work done. This would include a complete blood work count (red, white, platelets and plasma) and a chemistry panel that can show problems in organ functions and determine if the dog's blood has the right amount of electrolytes it needs to function properly.

As an owner you should be aware of some of the signs that could lead to blood disorders such as pale gums, bleeding gums, lack of energy, blood in the urine or stool. Any of these signs should indicate a trip to the vet is necessary and as soon as possible.

The complete blood work tests and chemistry panel are relatively inexpensive and very easy on the dog. You can have the results quite quickly and in this case an ounce of prevention by having these tests done may save your dog's life and you a bundle of money in health care costs.

If this article has been of benefit, please visit my web site and blog at http://www.cats-and-dogs-on-the-web.com

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